Fultondale leaders concerned about ongoing traffic issues

Those who live and work in Fultondale will tell you there is something missing at the Walker Chapel Road exit.

"We're concerned that we need a couple of red lights out here to help the traffic situation," Eddie Faggard said.

"As you come in north, turn to left on Walker's Chapel Road in afternoons, it's almost impossible to get out because you have so much traffic coming in from the I-22 corridor using this as a short cut," Faggard said.

"We have a lot of southbound traffic. Interstate traffic, trucks that get off on this exit to go to Trussville to pick back up on 20-59 and that's causing a real problem for us," Mayor Jim Lowry said.

City leaders say they are just as frustrated. They say they have been trying for years to resolve the issue.

"We've been requesting it since the 80's. I've actually been in touch with department of transportation three times, officially been denied three times," Lowry said.

"They have a formula they use with traffic counts to see if it justifies a traffic light or not and I do know they can make exceptions to that," Lowry added.

Mayor Lowry and the city council are not giving up. Together, they are taking on the issue once again.

"What we're requesting from the department of transportation is interstate traffic lights coming off northbound and southbound," the mayor explained.

Lowry said it could cost $150,000 or more and the city is willing to pay the price if necessary.

"That's a big chunk of money for us. We're that convinced that they're needed," Lowry said.

Police Chief David Smith agreed.

"We're lucky we haven't had a fatality yet but we're concerned and trying to prevent that. It would add a level of control to the intersection here that we don't have now," Smith said.

According to an ALDOT spokesperson, an engineer is currently in the process of conducting a traffic study in the area and will share the results once it is complete.

We are tracking a band of rain moving northwest to southeast across our area this afternoon. This wet weather will be impacting the area through the early evening in association with the passage of a cold front.

We are tracking a band of rain moving northwest to southeast across our area this afternoon. This wet weather will be impacting the area through the early evening in association with the passage of a cold front.